Maple Leafs considering stripping John Tavares of captaincy per Insider
According to Toronto Maple Leafs insider Nick Kypreos, the team is considering taking the captaincy away from John Tavares.
Kypreos revealed on Sportsnet today that the team is considering giving the captaincy to Auston Matthews. This is notable as the team was reportedly close to giving the captaincy to him last time, when they ultimately decided to give it to Tavares instead.
"From what I'm hearing, the Leafs are contemplating taking the captaincy away from him and giving it to Auston. They will talk about it. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but it's real."
#leafsforever
Changing captains does not generally have a huge impact on the way the team performs on the ice. However, Leafs fans seem to be open to the idea that Auston Matthews should be the next captain. Overall, the response to this news from Leafs fans seems to be generally positive.
John Tavares may be a good guy, a family man, & a home-grown talent, but his contract has been a disaster, his decline hard to watch, & was captain during some of the most embarrassing times we've ever endured.
He's a passenger.
Tavares certainly showed signs of age-related decline last season as well, which may be hurting his chances to remain the team's captain. He had 29 goals and 65 points, the lowest total he's had with the Leafs in a full season. In the playoffs he had just one goal and 2 points. Matthews is clearly the team's best player and the offense revolves around him. Why shouldn't he join the rest of the league's top players such as Connor McDavid in wearing the C? It seems like this is the very question Brad Treliving and the Leafs are asking themselves. Be sure to stay tuned to see if this change comes to Toronto.
| POLL | ||
Do you think the Toronto Maple Leafs will give the captaincy to Auston Matthews at the beginning of next season? | ||
| Yes | 734 | 61.9 % |
| No | 451 | 38.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
